Bottle-stopper.



0 0 mm 3 2 In 0 0 d e t n e t a P Y K S w 0 K U 6 6 0 N BOTTLE STOPPER.

(Application filed. June 22, 1599.)

2 Sheets-Sheet I,

(No Model.)

WITNESSES INVENTOH J owl.

A TTORNE rs n1: "aims PEYERS (0., PHOTO-UTHD" wnsumc'rcu. a. c.

U 0 m 3 2 L 0 0 d e .I n e .I a P w 9 Rm .E Y n M u J wsm Em IL. .Fm IM 0 l m m 0 6 6 0 N (No Model.)

W/TNESSES UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

. IOHANNES KOWSKY, OF BERLIN, GERMANY.

BOTTLE-STOPPER.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 660,515, dated October 23, 1900.

Application filed June 22, 1899. .serial No. 721,421. ilio model.)

1'0 all whom it may concern:

ence being had therein to the accompanying drawings. I

This invention relates toa new and improved stopper for bottles and other vessels,

more especially to that class of stoppers which are held in place by two swinging bails, one in front and the other in the rear. In fastening such stoppers provided with atightening rubber ring the rate of increase of the resist ance of the rubber varies approximately as the square of the distance traversed by the plug from the point it occupies when it rests lightly on the bottle to the point it reaches when the bottle is firmly closed. It is proposed to neutralize the aforesaid increased resistance of the rubber, so that the minim um pressure required at the beginning need not be increased throughout the entire operation of closing, since the locking-lever slides along a movable inclined plane, whose inclination varies inversely as the resistance of the rubber. By this device a most objectionable feature of bottle-stoppers of this class is overcome. It is designed, moreover, to devise a simplified and cheaper process for holding the bails more securely in place instead of fastening them'to the neck of the bottle by means of wire loops, as is now usually done in the case of bottlestoppers provided with two bails. The new bottle-stopper will be absolutely proof against accidental opening.

In describing the invention in detail referv ence is had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of thisspecification.

Like letters and numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in the difierent views.

.- Figure 1 presents an enlarged lateral view of a bottle provided with my improved stopper when open. Fig. 2 is a similar view of the same, representing the locking-lever engaging the upper frontridge Q of the plug of the stopper when almost closed. Fig. 3 is still another view of the same, representing the front of the stopper when totally closed.

Fig. 4: is a sectional view, representing the portions of the stopper when spread apart and lying in a horizontal plane engaging the recesses of the bottle.

In the drawings, A designates the stopper proper; B, the inclined rear portion of the same; C, thelockingseat, and D the head, containing an aperture E for the reception of the link F, the lower free ends G of said link being adapted to engage in cavities orrecesses H formed in the lug I of the neck of the bottle K. On the opposite side of the bottle there is a similar lug L, containing similar recesses M, which are adapted to receive the free ends Not the locking-lever 0, said locking-leverO consisting of a single piece of wire and carrying a loop P, extending inward. The lower surface or bottom of the plug and the lockingseat C are coustruoted in the usual manner. The bottom is so made as to enter the neck of the bottle and is provided with a rubber or cork gasket (not shown in the drawings) to make the bottle or vessel air tigh t. The lockin'gf-seat 0 receives the loop P of the lockinglever O as soon as the latter has risen above the highest point Q of the inclined plane, and the stopper will then be securely locked.

A. Two points deserve special consideration-to wit, first, that the small available space on the lower right-hand side of the locking-seat G has been fully utilized for the incline in order to make it possible, and, second, that the inclination of the plane varies inversely as the increase of the resistance of the rubber. pressure is exerted upon the locking-lever it slides easily along the trace or guiding-surface from the lower extremity of the plane up to its highest point, meeting only with the resistance of the rubber, which is but slight, and remains constant from beginning to end. The method of finding-t. 9., the geometrical constructionthe plane satisfying the aforesaid two conditions is shown in Figs. 1 and 2 by means of dotted lines.

My process for utilizing the principle of the inclined plane is as follows: The object of the locking-lever acting in the direction of the are 10 5 is to lower the upper front ridge Q of the plug from point 1, Fig. l, to point 5, Fig. 2. Since in so doing the motion of the lever is practically horizontal Accordingly when a slight IOO while that of the stopper is vertical, it naturally follows that in order to facilitate the work to be performed a particular class of the inclined plane may be employed-namely. that class or arrangement where the inclined plane which may be moved in the direction of the height is gradually forced to a position below the horizontal base by a force acting upon the trace of the incline in the direction of this horizontal base-and we may therefore regard line 1 5 as the height and line 5 E as the base of such an inclined plane. Accordingly the inclined plane is placed in such a position that when the plu; rests lightly on the bottle, Fig. lz'. 6, when point Q coincides with point lthe plane slopes downward from point 1 toward the are 5 10, meeting the latter at a point whose distance from point 5 varies inversely as the angle of inclination of the plane. 'Again. in order to insure a proper application of the aforesaid two principles of the incline-71. 6., first, an inclination varying inversely as the resistance of the rubber, and, second, the complete utilization of the space avai1ablethe following pertaining to bottle-stoppers of this type have been duly considered and the results investigated:

1. During the operation of closing the inclined plane rotates about a lateral center E.

2. At the same time this center rotates about another cent-er G.

3. The acting force meantime rotates about a third center Min a curve diverging from the base.

4. This divergence varies with every change of position of the first center E or the third center M.

5. Some effects of leverage are also produced.

Remark on operation No. 1: As it traverses from 1 to 5 the upper front ridge Q of the plug rotates about the center E. Therefore the line along which Q moves between 1 and 5 constantly changes its direction, and hence the height 1 5 is not a straight line, but-t'. 6., approximately, compare remark on operation 2the arc of the circle whose center is E. Now let us first of all conceive the loop P as moving in a straight line-(Compare remark on operation 3) 7;. 6., in the direction of line 9 E, which passes through the foot 5 ofthe height 1 5, which represents the path of point 1 in the closing of the stopper-and let us further conceive line 1 5 as sharing the motion of the body of the stopper. Then as the upper front ridge Q of the plug rotates about the center E (a) the pointsviz., 43 2of the height 1 5, beginning with 5, pass successively through the pointof intersection of the curves 1 5 and 10 5, while (b) at the same time at every point the straight lineviz., 4: 8, 3 7 passing through it and through the center E coincides with the line 9 5 and (0) every point of theinclineviz., 8 7 6through which said lines pass falls immediately below the loop P, the above three movements being simultaneous. Now with reference to any such straight line and its first point only the moment of the action of the loopP upon the terminal point of said line need be considered-- i e. the moment of the respective coincidence with the point of intersection 5, base 5 9, and the loops P. Hence it follows- First. That during the rotation of the front ridge Q. ateach moment one and only one of the straight lines in question coincides with line 9 5. All the other lines are shifted and grouped as radii around the center E.

Second. 'lheterminalpointsof the straight lines which-when taken collectively form the inclined plane are likewise shifted toward line 9 5, describing along with the other points of the inclined plane concentric circles around E.

Third. The points above and equidistant from the base do not lie in a line parallel with it, but always in the radii drawn from the center E. When the stopper rests lightly on the bottle, the lowest of these radii coincides with line 9 5. i

Fourth. All the straightlines which we may conceive to be drawn as Q rotates about E from the point where the loop meets the incline to the center E pass through the point of intersection of curves 1 5-and 10 5, and hence all said lines fall in the same line.

Fifth. Although line 9 5 E in which the lines are thus superimposed represents the base, neverthe1ess-- Sixth. When the stopper is open-i. 6., rests lightly on the bottle, Fig. l-the inclination of every part. of the plane is determined not by the angle-viz. 1 6, 5 9 which said part forms with the base 5 9, but by the angle which it forms with the radiusviz., 1 6, 2 6drawn from the center E through its foot, for at the moment of the action (of the loop on the terminal point of the line) this radius forms the base of the line in question.

Remarks on operation No. 2: The are of a circle which is meanwhile described by the center E as it rotates about the center G and which is about one-twentieth of an inch in length may be ignored for all practical purposes. v

Remarks on operation No. 3: The loop P does not act along the base 9 5, but in the direction of the curve 10 5, described about the center N, and thus theloop P diverges more or less from the base 9 5. the loop P as it moves along the curve 10 5 may nevertheless strike every point of the incline at the angle at which it would strike if it moved in the direction of the straight line 9 5, the inclined plane resulting according to operation 1 must be moved upward or downward a distance equal to the interval between the base 9 5 and the curve 10 5 above or below it. The several points of the incline are (according to II in remark on operation 1) to be shifted in such a manner that they describe concentric circles about the center E.

Remarks on operation No. 4.; The point of Now in order that I15 by 660,515 U i a intersection 5 of the curve 5 and the base E) 5 is fixed, for it is determined by the point of intersection of the curves 1 5 and 10 5, which is in turn determined by the position occupied by the upper front ridge Q of the plug when the stopper is closed. There can be on mechanical grounds no change of this position in any direction, not downward and not to the left, because the body of the plug would thereby become too thin; not upward and not to the right, because this would be just as unsatisfactory as to lower the center E or as to move the center M to the left, (of. seq.) Point 5 being therefore fixed, it follows that when the center E is lowered the base E 5 9 will be moved upward, Fig. 2, and that when the center N is broughtnearer to the vertical axis of the bottle the are 10 5 will be moved downward, and hencein either case the divergence between the curve and the base is increased. Since, however, it is proposed to make the curve and the base coincide as nearly as possible, the centerE has been raised and the center M moved away from the axis of the bottle, so that the base 9 5 has beenlowered and the curve 10 5 raised arm extends from the center E to the end R,

of the inclined plane. Therefore the resistance of the rubber ring varies inversely as the distance from E, and the several radii (2 6, &c.,) are indeed lines of the same height above the base, but not lines connecting the points of the same resistance of the rubber. The locking-lever O likewise represents a lever of the second order, whose weight-arm is N P, and whose power-arm is N S.

Applying the data set forth in remarks 1 5 the trace of the required inclined planehas been constructed as follows; Draw the height 1 5, the length of which is ordinarily five millimeters or one-fifth inch. Take 1 as the starting-point and divide the height into four parts, the lengths of which are as one to two to three to four. On the right side of the height 1 5 describe twenty-eight arcs of circles at intervals of one-half of a millimeter. Draw a radius th rough the foot (2 3 4 5) of each part of the height, so that the radius drawn through 2 will meet the are 12, and the radii drawn through 3, 4, and 5 will meet the arcs 18, 24, and 28, respectively. Connect the extremities of the radii by the straight lines 1 6, 6 '7, 7 8, s H. The ratio between the length of these lines and the length of the correspond ing part of the height-i. e., l 6 to 12, &c.is as fifteen is to one and one-fourth, fifteen is to Hence the amount of resistance to be overcome by the locking-lever acting in i the di-.

rection of the base 9 5 is diminished anywhere between two and twelve times-1 6., the work to be done is facilitated to the same extent and the straight lines 1 6, 6 7, 7 8, 8 9 will aftera slight rounding off of the corners rep resent an inclined face, whose angle of inclination at each point is inversely proportional to the resistance of the rubber experienced at the point. Since, however, the locking-lever acts in the direction of the curve 10 5 the inclination of the plane determined in the manner described has been in accordance with remark on operation No. 3 moved upward a distance corresponding to the divergence of this curve. As the loop P slides along this curve the greatly-increased resistance of the rubber is no longer appreciated by the hand. This favorable result could not have been obtained withoutsuch asystematic utilization of the limited available space. Only a careful observation of the data which have been set forth in the remarks on processes 1 to 5 made it possible to determine the exact ratio between the motive power and the distance traversed in doing the work, so that therefore the amount of work done per linear unit is the same at every part of the incline. The mechanical effect, which by the systematic use of the inclinedplane is as we have seen increased anywhere between two and twelve times, is. by the action of the first lever described in remark 5 increased twofold, and by the action of the second lever described in remark 5 the amount thus resulting is again increased by one-half of itself, so that by my arrangement the mechanical effect is increasedabont thirty-six times.

Fig. 2 shows the construction of the plane when the stopper is closed. The parts are laid off on the heightin reverse order. Hence the inclined plane resulting as before is inverted. Furthermore, as is indicated by the braces, the part of each are lying between the base and the inclined plane has been laid off on every are below the curve 10 5. The resulting curve B is identical with the curve B previously determined.

B. The loop P, secured to the locking-lever and extending downwardly, tends to prevent the straight litnbs of the locking-lever from spreading, and hence from leaving their bearings. The upper portion of the loop is so. made as to be conveniently operated by hand.

0. Only a force acting from the rear against the loop P is able to move said loop backward and downward along theincline; but the head D, formed by elevating the center E, extends upward to a point almost in alinement with the top of the locking-lever, thus serving as an effective safeguard against any such force, and therefore against accidental opening. Only enough space has been left between the head and the locking-lever to enable the operator to insert his finger.

D. The two free ends of the link F and the two free ends of the locking-lever engage directlyin recesses, which are formed in lugs reinforcing the neck of the bottle. This device has a threefold ad vantage over the pres ent method of fastening the bails by means v of loops of wire encircling the neck of the bottle. In the first place the bearings in which the bails operate are now amply protected against loosening or displacement. Again, the labor of mounting the wire and remounting the same after it has become loose may now be dispensed with. Finally, the cost of the wire and the pieces needed for fastening the same to the neck of the bottle is entirely avoided, since the bottle or vessel is molded with the recesses.

E. The stopper may. be made of any suitable material. It will be readily seen that my invention admits of many minor changes which do not affect the principles involved.

F. Summing up: By my device the amount of resistance is diminished thirty-six times, the bails are secured more firmly in place with less expense, the loop is prevented from leaving its bearings, and a safeguard has been provided against accidental opening. The disposition of the parts producing these effects insures a finished form and a neat appearance for the stopper.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a device for stoppering bottles, jars and similar vessels, the combination with the neck thereof, of a link connection secured to said neck carrying the stopper proper, said stopper having an inolinedfront portion,

which when the plug of the stopper rests lightly on the top of the neck and slopes downward from the upper front ridge Q of the plug toward the arc described by the loop P of the locking-lever,- said locking-lever being adapted to operate over said inclined front portion, substantially as herein shown and described and for the purpose set forth.

2. In a device forstoppering bottles, jars and similar vessels, the combinationwith the neck thereof, of a lug projecting from the side of said neck having formed therein recesses, and a link connection engaging said recesses, said link connection carrying the stopper proper, said stopper having an upwardly-extending head and a downwardly-extending front portion, which when the plug of the stopper rests lightly on the top of the neck slopes downward from the upper front ridge of the plug toward the are described by the loop P of the locking-lever, and of a second lug projecting from the opposite side of said neck having formed therein recesses which are adapted to receive a locking-lever carrying a downwardly-extending loop adapted to operate over said inclined front portion, all parts being arranged and operated substantially as herein shown and described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

JOHANNES KOWSKY.

Witnesses:

H. C. EVERT, JOHN GROETZINGER. 

